I began learning classical piano when I was five years old, but I quit when I was 6 because I didn't like practice (laughs). I didn't do anything musical while in junior high school, but I frequently bought and listened to records. In high school I became immersed in films, probably watching 2-3 movies almost every day. After I picked up and watched Railman, I hoped to become a film music composer and then I decide to go to the music junior college after graduating from high school. After graduation, I joined Square (now known as Square Enix) and worked from Chrono Trigger as a debut work to Gun Hazard and Xenogears. Since 1997, I've been a freelance composer. After becoming freelance, I had worked on Chrono Cross, Xenosaga Episode I and The Seventh Seal, a big PC game from Taiwan. Also in 2001, to expand my music activity, I founded the music production company (music, sound effects, sound programming for games, publishing, label and so on), Procyon Studio.
Yasunori Mitsuda

It takes about one month for me to start composing music on the game because I get various materials (e.g. scenario, the character's setting, background art and pictures of monsters) from the game companies and then firmly build the vision of the world in my head. Of course, depending on the game company, sometimes I can't get enough material, so I then work with what I have. So basically, I don't 'just compose music and then fit it somewhere'.
Yasunori Mitsuda